how to encourage crawling

Hi, I wonder if anyone had any advice / useful experience on this one. My DS2 is 13 months old and not crawling (or bottom shuffling etc) yet. He's been seen by the HV a few times, been to GP to have hips checked, and the conclusion is that he's fine, he just hasn't done it yet.

So my question is, what can I do to get him to crawl?!!!!!! He has been kind of getting into the right position for about 2-3 weeks, but then either sits up again (and points frantically to what he wants, saying 'dat', 'dat' repeatedly) or flops down onto his belly and then ends up pushing himself backwards, getting increasingly frustrated and crying.

I try this with him every day, you know, putting toys just out of his reach, encouraging him, but all that happens is that he gets really frustrated and upset, and I feel like I'm torturing him.

I was getting a little concerned about my DTs who weren't crawling at 12mo, but also doing the 'dat' thing, and getting increasingly whingey. Everyone kept telling me just to enjoy it but I'm not sure how you enjoy listening to a baby grumble all day because they can't move?

Anyway, the day after their first birthday DT1 (the main whinger) finally figured it out, and two days later DT2 followed suit. Unfortunately, nothing I did to try and encourage them worked, they just did it when they were ready.

Hang in there, seems like he's almost there - you'll probably read this post back in a week and laugh.

DD was the same just before she crawled at 10 months. She'd get so cross and end up pushing herself backwards. I stopped trying to encourage her as it didn't work. One day she woke up, rolled over and crawled off like she'd been doing it forever.

I really feel for you. My DS1 and DS2 were both really late crawlers. DS1 14mo and DS2 13.5mo. The thing about enjoying them not moving is rot! All the babies I've seen crawling look happy as can be, whilst my two did nothing but scream with frustration from 8mo until they moved!!!

That aside, I think your DS will just do it when he is ready. I tried everything especially with DS2. Cheerios temptingly out of reach, favourite toys etc etc. Then one day out of the blue he started to crawl. Very slowly but he did it. He was on a very thick nice carpet though at a friends house, so maybe that encouraged him.

Malsmum, My DD never crawled or bum shuffled she just went straight to walking at 10 months. It was frustrating more than anything for her because her peers were all crawling but I knew there was nothing I could do. I did try holding her fave toy infront of her to make her try and move forward but nope she just always sat there and cried until I gave it to her!

Your DS will get there in the end and he may even just start walking when you turn your back..mine did!

I can't believe so many people have responded so quickly. Thank you all, I feel much better already. Typical mum thing I think, thinking that there must be something that I ought to be doing!!!!!!!!!!!!

An update in case anyone is interested - he started crawling last week (at 14 months). A big part of me is saying 'hurrah!!!!!!!!', another part of me is saying 'arghhhhhhh' as he is now hell bent on making up for lost time and is destroying everything he can get his little hands on! . And by the way, we just kept encouraging him to get moving, putting things just out of reach. It may have helped a bit but in the end I do think that he just did it when he was good and ready.